Supplier Development Lead

Are you an experienced supply chain professional with a background in supplier development, procurement, or manufacturing? We are supporting a leading engineering organisation in the search for a Supplier Development Lead to join their team, helping to strengthen supplier capability, improve resilience, and support the delivery of complex, high-specification products within a regulated manufacturing environment. This is an opportunity to play a strategic role in developing a high-performing supply base, working closely with procurement, manufacturing, engineering, quality, and programme teams to ensure suppliers are capable, compliant, and ready to support current and future business requirements.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the supplier onboarding and approval process, ensuring suppliers meet quality, capability, financial, and compliance requirements.
• Conduct supplier capability and capacity assessments to evaluate readiness for current and future programmes.
• Develop and manage supplier improvement plans, working collaboratively to enhance quality, delivery performance, and operational capability.
• Support procurement and programme teams by identifying supplier risks and validating supplier readiness ahead of contract award.
• Assess suppliers supporting outsourced manufacturing activities, ensuring capability, capacity, and quality standards are met.
• Identify and manage supplier risks including capacity constraints, financial stability, and single-source dependencies.
• Support the development of a resilient and capable supply base aligned to long-term business growth and manufacturing strategy.
• Maintain supplier development records, produce reports, and contribute to continuous improvement of supplier governance processes.
• Build effective relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders across procurement, quality, engineering, manufacturing, and programme teams.

Candidate Requirements:

• Previous experience within supplier development, procurement, supply chain, or manufacturing environments.
• Strong understanding of supplier capability assessment, supplier performance management, or supplier quality processes.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams to improve supplier performance and mitigate supply chain risk.
• Knowledge of quality management systems and supplier governance processes.
• Commercial awareness with the ability to balance quality, cost, delivery, and risk considerations.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence both internally and externally.
• Experience using ERP or MRP systems would be advantageous.

Desirable Experience:

• Experience within defence, aerospace, heavy engineering, manufacturing, or other highly regulated industries.
• Professional procurement qualifications such as CIPS or MCIPS.
• Experience supporting outsourced manufacturing, machining, fabrication, or specialist engineering supply chains.
• Knowledge of supplier audits, capability assessments, and continuous improvement methodologies.

Benefits / Wider Package:

• 33 days annual leave including bank holidays
• Competitive pension package with up to 13% combined contribution and immediate enrolment
• Free onsite parking and access to employee fitness facilities
• Flexible working arrangements with adaptable start and finish times around core business hours

Additional Information:

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK and be able to satisfy any applicable security or background screening requirements associated with the role.